Love Child of Knitting and Crochet

So what’s going on in the studio today? Hmm…well, I’ve had a sudden craving to knit and crochet so yesterday I finished up this little eyeglass pouch:

This is actually not knitting or crochet, it’s broomstick lace! Just in case you’ve never heard of it before, it used to be pretty popular in the 60’s and 70’s (or at least that’s when a lot of my old patterns were published) and was often called Jiffy Lace. I think it’s the happy love child between knitting and crochet – the perfect melding of two awesome crafts!

I finally got the hang of this technique thanks to the Craftsy class Beyond Basics Broomstick Lace with Jennifer Hansen. I love quick little projects like this because it literally took 1 hour of playing with a huge needle and little crochet hook to come up with this nice lacy pouch.

Of course, I don’t usually use an eyeglass case, so I think this is going to go in my gift box. This is a box of things I’ve enjoyed making, but don’t need to keep for myself. Setting it aside in my gift box means I won’t forget it during the holidays and will hopefully find the perfect friend or family member to give it to.

Now that I’ve got the basics of broomstick lace down, I’m eager to start the Rebel Lace Cardigan that is also featured in the class. See I’ve got my yarn ready to go and everything!

It’s really funny how my attitude and inspiration can change from day to day. For weeks all I wanted to do was cut and piece fabric, now all I want to do is sit in the sun and create broomstick lace!

When I’m not knitting and crocheting this cool stuff, I’ve still been piecing away at the tiniest hexies imaginable:

I’m pretty happy with using these 1/4″ hexies for the goddess’s face, but I think we’re going to have to go a couple sizes bigger for her body and arms. It’s just too much to consider covering her entirely with 1/4″ hexagons. Maybe I bit off more than I can chew…

Regardless, I’m enjoying the process! It’s the oddest feeling in the world, but I think I’ve finally learned the most simplistic, but most essential (and difficult) lesson for any creative person to learn: do what you want to do when you want to do it! Now I’m off to do just that!

Let’s go quilt,

Leah